Account Manager job description
An Account Manager looks after a set of client accounts, keeps them happy and finds ways to grow the work. The role is the main point of contact between the client and the internal team.
Why the role exists
Agencies and service firms win or lose on how clients feel after the sale. The Account Manager runs day to day communication, tracks delivery and spots new needs. In India this role often sits between the client's team and the creative, tech or operations team, reporting to a business head.
What the person does
- Act as the first contact for assigned clients and respond to requests within agreed time.
- Turn client briefs into clear tasks with scope, deadlines and owners for the internal team.
- Track progress on live work and warn clients early about delays or changes.
- Run regular review calls and share short written minutes with action points.
- Prepare reports, invoices details and renewal documents with finance and delivery teams.
- Identify extra needs in each account and propose additional work with the sales head.
- Handle complaints calmly, find the cause and agree a clear fix with the client.
- Keep account records, contacts and decisions updated in the shared system.
Skills and tools
- Client communication on calls, email and WhatsApp with a professional tone
- Briefing and project tracking in tools such as Asana, ClickUp or Trello
- Scope and change management, including saying no politely
- Reading reports and presenting results to non-technical clients
- Basic commercial awareness of contracts, billing cycles and margins
- Upselling and renewal discussions based on client value
- Meeting notes and written follow-ups that leave no confusion
- Prioritising across many accounts with competing deadlines
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Graduation in business, communication or a related field preferred, or equivalent experience
- Preferred: two or more years handling clients in an agency, consulting or service business
- Preferred: understanding of the work your team delivers, such as marketing, design or software
- Strong written and spoken communication in English and relevant Indian languages
How the work is judged
- Client satisfaction measured through feedback and review meetings
- Renewal and retention of accounts over the period
- Growth in work from existing clients through proposals the Account Manager helped win
- On-time delivery on the commitments made to clients
- Accuracy of briefs, reports and records shared with internal teams
Where the role can lead
- Senior Account Manager or Client Servicing Lead with larger accounts
- Account Director or Head of Client Services managing a team
- Moving into business development, customer success or project management
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- A client is unhappy with a delivery and the team says it met the brief. What do you do?
- How do you handle a client who keeps adding work without asking for more budget?
- Describe how you brief an internal team after a long client call.
- Tell us about a time you found extra work in an account. How did you raise it?
- How do you manage ten accounts when three of them need urgent attention at once?
- What do you include in a monthly report to a client who does not read long documents?
Hiring tips for this role
- Test client handling with a role play. Play an annoyed client and watch whether the candidate listens, restates the problem and commits only to what is possible.
- Ask how they handled scope changes in the past. Weak candidates either agree to everything or argue with clients.
- Check understanding of delivery. Account managers who cannot read the work make unrealistic promises.
- Define who owns revenue targets in the job description. Unclear ownership between sales and accounts causes friction.
Questions about hiring a account manager
An Account Manager usually serves project or service clients and manages scope, billing and growth. A Customer Success Manager typically works with product users to drive adoption and renewal. Some businesses combine them.
It depends on account size, work volume and the team's support. A few large accounts may fill the role, while many small ones can be handled together. Test the number with the real workload.
Often yes, through renewals and extra work in existing accounts. New client acquisition is usually a separate sales or business development task. State this split clearly in the job description.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, including the accounts, scope and revenue expectations. We then find and screen candidates, review client handling experience and support the offer for a permanent hire.
Hiring a account manager?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.